1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dispensers for the shower, and more particularly to an apparatus adapted for dispensing a liquid additive into, above or adjacent to a shower stream emitted from a shower head. The invention does not require retro-fitting or other modification of the existing plumbing installation.
2. Description of Background Art
The art of mixing soap with shower water includes many devices which provide means for mixing soap into the shower water before it is emitted from the shower head. Most of these devices make use of venturi effect or siphonic action to effect the mixing of liquid soap with the shower water before it flows through the primary, or in some instances an auxiliary, shower head. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,248 issued to Khalifka. Other such devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,060 issued to Hudson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,076 issued to Bishop, U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,095 issued to Pronk, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,105 issued to Pitroda.
The problems with such devices, as those referred to above, center around the need to retro-fit or modify the existing plumbing installations. Such an installation is time-consuming and difficult, and may require access to plumbing inside a wall or other building structure. Furthermore, devices which mix soap with shower water before it exits the shower head are not designed for the independent dispensing of soap. Another disadvantage of such devices is the fact that the additives selected to be mixed into the source water supply are often viscous. This can lead to the clogging of internal valve systems of the devices or the relatively small exit holes of the shower head, necessitating inconvenient cleaning, which discourage people from utilizing these devices. A further problem with certain of these devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,076, derives from the need to divert all or a portion of the source water supply into a secondary flow, thus reducing the primary shower stream pressure and volume.
Other approaches to mixing soap with shower water include U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,883 issued to Lane which shows a dispenser apparatus in fluid communication with the source water supply and an auxiliary shower head. A portion of the source water must be diverted to mix with the soap, and the soapy water is then emitted through the auxiliary shower head. This device has problems common to the devices discussed above in that it requires retro-fitting of the existing plumbing and diversion of the source water flow, thus reducing the pressure through the primary shower head.
Yet another approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,858 issued to Berry, in which solid cake soap is held between two screens in the shower water flowing from the primary shower head. The water flow passes into the input end of the apparatus, thereby dissolving the cake of soap, and out the output end of the apparatus. In this situation, the flow of shower water is impeded by the screens and the cake soap. Moreover, the design of the unit requires that only cake soap be used, and not liquid soap, nor does it permit mixing of other liquid additives with shower water from the shower head.
Another example of a related device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,891,732 issued to Orter et al., in which the source water supply is diverted to a soap dispensing device where the source water supply pressure causes soap to be squeezed out of the device. With this device, the entire source water supply is diverted to the soap dispenser and thus the soap is not mixed in the shower water.
Accordingly, many of the current devices for the dispensing and mixing of liquid additives with shower water require retro-fitting or modifying the existing plumbing installation thus diverting or otherwise interfering with the flow of shower water to the shower head. Moreover, current apparatus require mixing of liquid soap, or such, with the source water supply before it exits the shower head, and can thereby lead to back pressure problems or the clogging of internal valves and the relatively small exit holes of the shower head, thus necessitating frequent cleaning and discouraging use of the current devices.
Therefore, there remains a need in the art for improvements in liquid additive dispensers for use in the shower.